Leather Dyeing by Plant-Derived Colorants in the Presence of Natural Additives

This research aimed to dye leather fabric samples with the application of plant-derived colorants and natural additives. Two grades of chitosan were used as additives, in addition to caffeine, nettle extract, and shellac solution. The ability of colorants to dye leather fabric and the impact of additives on leather fabric properties such as structure, color intensity, color stability under exposure to UVC irradiation, and mechanical properties were examined. For this purpose, dyed samples were tested by a colorimeter, ATR-FTIR spectrophotometer, mechanical testing machine, and X-ray diffractometer. The results indicated that the applied colorants of plant origin have the potential to dye leather fabrics without affecting their structure and without a negative impact on the environment. Applied natural additives can, therefore, beneficially influence the effects of the dyeing process, such as color intensity, colorfastness after exposure to UV irradiation, or tensile strength of the material.